Dear colleagues,

I have been reading all the emails regarding fake conference registration
forms with interest... I am actually surprised that it has caused such a
stir; do fake registrations come in such huge numbers to cause great alarm?

Since Nath has been kind enough to offer to 'screen' prospective
participants from Nigeria, I hope that those with any doubts take him up on
the offer. As for AFRICOM, we have not experienced any such fake requests
from any country. 

Concerning Per's suggestion that AFRICOM and other representative bodies of
African museums should find ways for some kind of simple authorisation of
conference registrations... I think it would be very difficult indeed for
AFRICOM or any other body to act as any kind of continental 'Registration
Police'. However, I welcome everyone to make enquiries to AFRICOM to verify
museum professionals against our database. I am pleased to say that the 2003
edition of the 'Directory of Museum Professionals in Africa' will be
available in hardcopy and on our web site very soon, and this can also be a
way of checking true professionals (although not necessarily ICOM members).
It must however be kept in mind that the Directory reflects only those who
responded to the questionnaire, and there are undoubtedly more professionals
out there who did not...

I think that ICOM committee conference organisers just need to be vigilant
and confirm registrations according their own internal systems. Furthermore,
I agree with Giovanni Pinna who points out that "le problème ne doit se
poser que pour les demandes  d'enregistrement adressée par des personnes qui
ne sont pas membres de l'ICOM" (the problem only exists for registration
requests from those who are not ICOM members). Therefore, it should be quite
simple to send an email to the concerned country's ICOM committee, or to the
friendly people at ICOM Membership Services, who can verify if someone is a
member or not.

Regards,

Lorna


-- 

Lorna L. Abungu
Executive Director
International Council of African Museums - AFRICOM
Museum Hill Road
P.O. Box 38706, Ngara
00600 Nairobi
KENYA

tel. 254-20-3748668
fax. 254-20-3748928

www.african-museums.org

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